This invention is directed to a light-emitting diode holder and in particular, to a light-emitting diode holder molded of a plastic material.
This invention was derived from a need for a light-emitting diode holder that is easy to assemble into an apertured panel and which will hold the light-emitting diode rigidly within the panel once installed.
Because light-emitting diodes are of relatively small dimensions, it is difficult to make a LED holder of plastic material with sufficient structural integrity to rigidly hold the LED into an apertured panel. This invention accomplishes that design objective by causing the retaining sidewall means of the LED holder to be held in a tight interfitting relationship between the LED and the walls formed by the aperture in the panel.
The above-stated objective is accomplished by an LED holder having a regular-shaped hollow body with a central opening extending along the axis of the body. Two pairs of axially extending spaced elongate slots are formed through the side wall of the hollow body to define a flexible axially extending web portion on diametrically opposite sides of the hollow body. An outwardly extending flange portion is integrally formed around the periphery of the upper end of the regular-shaped body and coacts with a pair of resilient arm means formed on the outside surface of the body at a distance below the flange portion for providing a snapping engagement into the apertured panel. A pair of crush rib means integrally formed on the outside surface of the two flexible web portions provide a tight interfitting engagement between the LED and the apertured panel. A pair of shoulder latching means are integrally formed on the inside surface of the web portions for engaging and holding the bottom edge surface of the light-emitting diode when inserted into the apertured panel .